I know, dont dream do, but this will do for now

Heretic Shallow Grave

Only days to go now in my current job, then I’m unemployed. Well kinda, I have a week until I start the new job. In that week I currently plan to brew some beer in preparation for VicBrew, maybe sneak into a brewery or two, and just bum around before putting the suit back on and getting on with work. It’ll be a good week, here’s hoping a bunch of stuff I don’t really want to do doesnt really sneak in. Time will tell, a week is such a short thing, who knows what I’ll get up to.

One thing I want to do is brew an IPA to replace the one I brewed a few weeks ago. I think I got something wrong somewhere on this brew. I checked the gravity on the weekend, it’s sitting at about 1.024, not low enough, it also tasted too sweet, and I think there was kinda a banana flavor in it. Not good anyway. I think the yeast must have crashed out, and it is in a very cold shed with a heat pad on flat out. Temp control is not occurring on this beer thanks to the electrical fire. No good. I need to get that gear replaced asap but I dont think I want to do the wiring myself. One electrical fire a year is enough.

Anyway I think the brewing may consist of something for the low ABV comp at the upcoming ANHC, havent figured out what that’ll be yet, perhaps an English pale, or something hoppy, not sure yet. I also think I’ll have a crack at a porter, perhaps like the one I’m drinking right now – Heretic Shallow Grave.

This is a more or less black beer with a chocolaty roasty hit, yet its smooth. I could drink a lit of this. And it has a really nice roasty aroma. All in all this is a good beer. I’m not really surprised though, I’m yet to have a fail from Jamil on his Heretic beers, or his books and podcasts for that matter (perhaps with the exception of those porn adds?).

There is something in this beer that just has a nice weight to it, its a rich thick smooth drop. There are also things about it that remind me of a nice smooth short black coffee, its that sweet roast flavor.

Anyway thats enough for now, I need to focus back on the rack of lamb I’m cooking for dinner. Later on I need to remember to book in for ANHC before the early bird rate drops off. If you havent signed up for ANHC yet and plan to do so do it now. Oh and get your entries for VicBrew ready.

Thats enough public service for me. get yourself a Heretic beer, the Shallow Grave is good, but they all are, so just go with your mood.

Cheers D

PS – I also did a crop walk on the weekend at the folks farm, all the crops are looking pretty good with the exception of about a third of a paddock of canola of my uncle Ben’s. My wheat however is looking the goods as you can see from the pic. I think I might need to figure our how to turn some of it into beer. Any suggestions welcome.